On September 28-29, Hamad Bin Khalifa University hosted “AI Ethics: The Convergence of Technology and Diverse Moral Traditions,” a conference it organized in partnership with two Qatari ministries, UNESCO, Skoltech and other academic institutions and sponsors. The event emphasized the need for elaborating ethical and policy standards around the use of artificial intelligence, particularly in health care, urban design, security, education, finance, and the future of the workplace.

The conference was attended by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, alongside ministers and other dignitaries, as well as leaders from the private sector.

The event brought together policymakers, industry experts, and leading researchers, including Skoltech Professor Ivan Tyukin, who was among the three panelists in a session titled “AI and the Changing Face of Care: Empathy, Professional Identity, and Human Connection” on the second day of the conference.

In his contribution to the panel discussion, Tyukin — an expert on trustworthy artificial intelligence — considered the technical, ethical, and societal dimensions of trust in the technology. He emphasized the need for transparent and appropriate presentation and interpretation of key determinants of AI system performance. The professor also highlighted concerns around security of AI systems due to the potential for unwanted and hardly detectable manipulations of large AI models leading to harmful behaviors. In the discussion, Tyukin called ethics “nonalgorithmizable” and expressed hope that humanity would strive to use the technology responsibly. He pinpointed examples of AI systems with social implications, including chatbots marketed as AI companions and software supporting pathologists in their work but, arguably, having the potential for driving a crucial yet relatively unpopular profession into extinction.

Collectively, the panels, plenaries, keynotes, and roundtables of the conference focused on the way moral traditions and cultural perspectives can shape AI regulation and inform responsible innovation. “The insights we gather here will help shape technologies that are not only innovative, but also inclusive and responsible,” the president of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Dr. Ahmad M. Hasnah, commented.

With its emphasis on empowering cultural diversity in the AI regulation discourse, the event provided a platform for alternative viewpoints to expand the range of ideas voiced and encourage new collaborations at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and ethics. As a leading AI research center in Russia, Skoltech, too, partnered with the conference, alongside the University of Cambridge, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and other academic institutions committed to shaping a balanced approach to emerging technology.